Shillong, Apr 8 (IANS): The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) on Monday condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha poll manifesto that has promised to enact the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill if it comes back to power after the elections.

"NESO would like to send a clear message that it will not allow anyone to put our future generation at risk and the movement is on and will continue for uplift, safeguard, protection from both internal and external aggression," NESO Chairman Samuel Jyrwa said.

Jyrwa reminded that the whole of the Northeast was up in arms in recent months against the move by the Indian government to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

"NESO strongly condemns this move by the BJP as it clearly shows that it has no regard for the welfare of the microscopic indigenous communities of the Northeast, but rather this move is to reduce us to a minority in our own land," he said.

The indigenous students' apex body reiterated that it does not distinguish between people on the basis of their religion.

"A foreigner is a foreigner irrespective whether a Muslim or a Hindu", it said.